On The Other Side
by Hogwarts Duo
Summary: Albus Dumbledore has been waiting for Minerva McGonagall for 75 years but there's only one problem: he's dead. But she's recently crossed over too so what happens next? ADMM with a happy ending...we promise!


**On The Other Side**

**Disclaimer:** We're merely borrowing them for our amusement.

**Summary:** Albus Dumbledore has been waiting for Minerva for 75 years but there's only one problem: he's dead. But she's recently crossed over too so what happens next? We promise a happy ending!

Three quarters of a century is a long time to wait for someone, especially when they mean the world to you. But it also gives the opportunity to reflect on the so-called perfect moment, the one glorious moment when they walk through the door and back into your life again making all of your days even brighter than before.

Albus Dumbledore had been doing just that, sitting in his own wonderful paradise waiting for her. He had passed from the earthly realm into this paradise peacefully, with her by his side, holding his hand as he slipped away. He had never admitted his true feelings for her and that was one regret that haunted him, even here in the after-life. After all this time, he could still recall the way her hair shined, the way her body moved with a graceful rhythm all its own, the heady scent of lavender that drifted from her skin, her wit and humor and her uncanny ability to read him so clearly and know exactly what he needed even before he did himself.

And now, as he sat in front of his window, he noted how the winds in the trees outside had changed as if something extraordinary was riding on the breeze. Glancing to her portrait on the wall, he smiled. It had been the only way he could think of to know when she arrived. Chances were good that she would come to see him but having never made his feelings known, it was not something he could depend upon. So he had devised this simple plan to help him keep track of her whereabouts. Now that the time was near, he felt his nerves begin to fray. The newly created fire in the stone hearth in her portrait was his proof of her passing.

Would she come to him? Would things be the same as before? Would he be able to confess his feelings when she walked through the door, if she walked through the door? It had been so long, too long, since he'd worried about anything other than this moment and now that it had arrived it nearly consumed him. His sherbert lemons in the carved gold bowl sat untouched, as did his lunch from hours earlier. He had sat motionless, pondering all the things he wanted to say to her since the moment he had left her side decades ago. All he could do now was wait, which was nothing new to him.

Memories of times they shared flooded his mind. Quiet nights by a fire reading, spirited chess matches that challenged the mind and lifted the heart, even the toils of their jobs had afforded him the presence of her company. And then one day they were gone and he was left alone in another dimension yet still strongly connected to her. He had watched her from a distance, taking note of all her accomplishments and accolades but never daring to interfere with her life beyond the occasional whisper in her ear of a long forgotten moment that would make her smile.

Albus wasn't sure how long he sat and stared at the portrait and listened intently for any sound that might alert him to her presence inside his paradise. It wasn't until several hours later, when she hadn't arrived that he thought of something important. Knowing Minerva, as he had been fortunate enough to do on earth, he realized what was taking her so long in coming to visit him, assuming of course that she intended to pay him a social call.

Minerva had been teaching at Hogwarts for almost twenty years and had formed a wonderful friendship with Albus when her father had suddenly passed away. Albus had never truly seen Minerva distraught but the night she received word from her mother about her father's passing, it had taken all his strength to keep her from falling apart. She had come to him in the middle of the night, dressed only in her tartan nightgown with tears streaming down her face. The sight of her tear-stained face broke his heart and as she handed him the parchment she clutched tightly in her hand, he watched as she dropped to the floor in a wave of heart-wrenching sobs. After scanning the piece of paper for the pertinent information, he scooped her into his arms and held her until her tears were all dried. The next few days, he rarely left her side and for weeks after that he guarded her very closely, making sure she ate properly and got at least a few hours of sleep every night.

Upon remembering that memory, Albus knew immediately where Minerva would go first once she crossed over into this dimension. She would, without a doubt, go immediately to her father. They had been so close while he was still alive and Albus knew how much she had missed him for the remaining decades of her life. Releasing a soft sigh, Albus took comfort in knowing that at least she wasn't avoiding him but taking care of her family first.

Thinking back over his many decades spent in her lovely company, Albus tried to banish any further thoughts of doubt and confusion regarding whether or not she would visit him. He had watched her from a distance and had seen the way she mourned his passing. He had even sat back while several very interested suitors pursued her romantically, only to find that she was not interested in their affections. That should've pained his heart but instead it gave him hope. Hope that maybe she did love him after all and that despite his mistakes made on earth, he could begin to win her heart and spend the rest of their eternity in sweet happiness together.

Several more hours passed as Albus watched the clock and thought of Minerva but he was no longer content to wait for her to come to him. Bucking up his courage, he changed into a set of royal blue robes and set out to find her new residence, praying all the while that she would remember him and welcome him back into her life, despite their years of separation.

The one place Minerva felt at home, other than Hogwarts, was in the Highlands of Scotland, preferably near a loch and with an average sized cottage with emerald green shutters and a view of the mountains in the background. A large meadow with bluebells would be behind the house along with several large trees, suitable for lazy summer afternoon picnics beneath their branches. She had often spoken of retiring to just such a cottage to spend her remaining years so Albus felt certain that if he found the small house she had described to him so many times in wistful tones, he'd find the love of his life.

Albus' search took him past the homes of several of his friends who had also crossed over long before this particular day. Making a mental note of each and every one, he vowed to one day return and catch up with his old acquaintances but for now, he only had one person in mind and she, like so many other times before, inspired his every waking thought. Just as he was about to give up, he saw a cottage matching Minerva's description in the distance and he practically ran towards the quaint little house.

After knocking on the door several times, Albus' shoulders slumped as he realized she wasn't inside. But as he turned to walk away, the door mysteriously opened and he seemed to be drawn inside to the inner sanctuary and comfort of Minerva's presence.

The first thing Albus noticed when he walked through the door was the warmth he felt surrounding him. It wasn't one that reflected the temperature either inside or outside of the cottage but rather one that radiated from within. It was one of relaxation and gentleness, softness yet something more. Walking further into the house, he inhaled deeply the scent of lavender and held the breath for a moment before closing his eyes and smiling. _Merlin how I've missed this woman!_

As he walked into the kitchen, Albus was pleased to see a tea service in the middle of her solid oak table, with two cups, two plates, a tin of ginger newts and a bowl of Albus' favorite lemon flavored biscuits. Taking one from the tray and popping it into his mouth, he savored the biscuit as his taste buds exploded from the delight. He couldn't help but notice how much sweeter they seemed to taste here in her home as opposed to the ones back at his office. He mused that it had everything to do with the woman who had placed them there with him in mind rather than the actual biscuit, for they never tasted this good except in her presence.

He continued his journey though the house and found himself walking into the large library. Minerva had always loved books on hundreds of topics so he found it no surprise that there was entire room dedicated to her favorite books, magazines, and tomes on a wide array of subjects. There were two chairs facing each other near the fireplace with a small table between them. He thought nothing of it until he walked closer to what he assumed would be Minerva's chair and saw a book of poetry that he had never seen before. Taking the leather bound book in his hands, he opened it to the bookmarked page and was shocked at what he read.

_Her eyes are like starlight, bright and fair_

_Her hair is rare silk, and I can't help but stare_

_The creamy complexion of her soft textured skin_

_And the unchallenged beauty that she hides within_

_They make up the woman that has captured my heart_

_Her company from which I never wish to depart_

_My next great adventure is drawing nigh_

_And I can't control my saddened sigh_

_To have to leave her behind for a while_

_I take with me her soft, rare smile_

_To last me until she joins me here_

A place with no sorrow, no tears and no fear 

Albus knew that if he could cry in paradise he would have tears streaming down his face. He had no idea how or even when but by some miracle Minerva had found his private writings that he kept safely hidden in his rooms at Hogwarts. In flipping through the pages of the worn book, he was thrilled to see that all of his thoughts and feelings for her had been compiled, preserved and cherished in this leather binding by the one woman who inspired them all, the muse who made his heart sing, his Minerva. Gently he returned the book back to its' original place and turned to face the other plush chair.

The overstuffed armchair looked drastically different from the one opposite it. The bright blue fabric of the chair seemed a direct contradiction of Minerva's tastes in furniture. She usually preferred the more classic appearances coupled with the comfort of the more luxurious chairs that Albus preferred. Then it dawned on him that perhaps this was supposed to be his chair. After all, he had already found evidence of himself in her paradise. Why should her library be any different? He went to take a seat to gather his thoughts but was stopped just before he sat down on another book, this one in his chair.

Page after blank page, Albus stared at the book. The emerald green cover was imprinted with four simple words stamped in gold: The Next Great Adventure. As he stared at what would be the first page of a normal book, he was amazed to see Minerva's familiar handwriting begin to appear on the page.

_The pages are unending as is the adventure that lies before us. I look forward to writing this story together with you…Minerva._

How could she have known that he would find the book? Maybe she was waiting for him in another room of the house! Running through the remainder of the rooms and calling out her name, he found nothing to indicate she was there or had even been there before his arrival. It was possible to create a paradise in one's mind and then join it later. After all, that's what he had done. While still living on earth, he had thought of the perfect way to spend his eternity and when he crossed over he was pleasantly surprised to find his fantasy had become his reality….well almost…until now.

He was now in her private sitting room, overlooking the lake behind the house. The room was decorated in spectacular colors of maroon and gold, obviously a tribute to her beloved Gryffindor roots. In one corner of the room sat a chessboard and upon further inspection Albus began to smile broadly as his heart beat faster. In his wildest dreams, he never expected the sight now before his eyes. After being gone for 75 years, he was shocked to see the chessboard exactly as he had left it a few days before his death. The marble board and its' matching pieces were still intact and in their same positions after all these years. Picking up the white knight, Minerva's favorite piece, the tiny marble piece stretched and yawned.

"It's about time you two finished this game. We'd almost give up hope on you," the piece said wearily.

"What do you mean?" Albus asked slightly confused and bewildered.

"After you left, she placed a charm on us so that we could never be moved until you were back among us. We've been waiting on you all this time and maybe now we can finally finish this game and be placed back in our velvety box for a little while."

Albus thanked the chess pieces for being so patient and explained to them that he hoped they would indeed be able to enjoy a rest in the very near future. Taking care to place the white knight back in his original spot on the board, Albus turned to take in even more of the room, noting the comfortable looking sofa, the plush rug in front of the hearth and the large windows that filled the room with a brilliant light. Walking over to one of them, he gazed longingly and searchingly across the lawn towards the lake.

But the lake couldn't hold his attention for very long once he spied the deep mahogany mantle above the fireplace. Slowly, he approached the pictures with awe, for each of them was a snapshot from a time long ago when they had both walked among the living. Each of the photographs contained a vibrant witch and a handsome wizard, smiling and waving as if they hadn't a care in the world. Rummaging through his mind, he took the time to remember each event and the feelings that inspired his stolen glances and even that one soft kiss to Minerva's cheek. His heart swelled with pride as he pulled all the pieces together and dared to finally dream that she loved him in return.

Albus removed his favorite photo from the mantle and clutched it close to his heart as he walked back over to the window. Settling down on the window seat, he alternated between staring at the image of himself and Minerva at a Ministry ball and the crystal blue waters shimmering in the bright sunshine outside. The photograph had been taken a few years before his death and a copy of the same picture could be easily found in his bedroom, right beside his bed. He had asked Minerva to accompany him to the formal dance and she had accepted with a bright smile, the one she secretly reserved just for him. That night, as they danced on the balcony under the stars, was the closest he ever came to admitting his love for her and begging for a chance to win her heart.

So deep in thought and memories, he never heard the cottage door open and close or the graceful steps of a woman's footsteps crossing the floor, inching closer and closer to him. It wasn't until she spoke that he felt truly alive for the first time in 75 years. And when he turned around the mere sight of her stole the very breath from his body. Her long ebony hair fell freely around her shoulders and back, accenting the rosy complexion of her cheeks and the fullness of her lips. Her slender frame, with all its' womanly curves was no longer so drastically hidden from view, as she wore a simple robe of emerald green silk. Her youthful appearance radiated sheer heaven itself and had he seen her crossing the lawn, he would've sworn his mind was playing a cruel trick for she could only be described as a goddess.

"It's true what they always said about paradise," she said softly. "It really does contain everything I've ever wanted in life." She daringly took a step closer to the man framed in light and sitting in her window. His auburn hair looked amazing as the sunbeams streamed around his head and body. Even seated, Minerva could tell that his body was whole again, not withered or frail as it had been in the latter part of his life and he had regained his strong, handsome appearance. But there was one thing that had never changed, in the previous world or this one, and that was his eyes, those expressive pools of deep blue that always captivated her. It was in those eyes that she could see the stars dancing and feel all the warmth that a woman longs to possess intimately. It was those eyes that stole her heart and she had never ever wanted it back, not even today.

Albus tried to speak but there were no words to convey the overwhelming emotions he had at just being in the same room with her again after all these years. His heart told him to run to her and kiss her passionately but his head convinced him to take things slowly, for he still did not know for sure how she felt. Instead, he smiled at her and with a quick wink, he extended his hand to her and waited.

"Are you real" she asked softly "or just another part of this paradise I've created for myself?" she finished, stretching her arms out to her sides to show that she meant everything surrounding her.

"I am as real as the man in this photo," was his simple reply. "I am the man who has waited impatiently for all these years to see you once again and the one who never wishes to be apart from your presence." Standing up and returning the photo to the mantle, he turned and walked confidently closer to her with his arms outstretched.

Minerva listened to her heartbeat pounding in her ears, decades of longing radiating from her eyes and so many thoughts racing through her mind. But as he neared her and she locked eyes with him, she could no longer deny the one emotion she had carried with her for so long…pure unending love.

As his arms encircled her waist, she gasped with delight and then snuggled into his warmth, a contended sigh falling from her lips. She inhaled his familiar scent deeply as a smile curled about her lips. "Mmm, you still smell of chocolate and lemons" she told him, tightening her arms around him and squeezing him to her body, practically molding herself into his frame.

"And the scent of lavender has never smelled as intoxicating as when it radiates from your very skin." He pulled back to look into her eyes as his hand came up and rested against her cheek, his thumb brushing gently across her cheekbone. "I've waited for you, Minerva, all this time. My home wasn't paradise until you arrived and now that you're here, I find myself afraid," he spoke honestly.

"Afraid of what, Albus," she asked, mirroring his actions with her own delicate touch to his cheek. "There's nothing in this world to fear. A place with no sorrow, no tears, and no fears," she quoted. "At least that's what you always believed on earth."

"That was before I faced the possibility of an eternity without you. I wasted too many years on earth by not confessing my love to you and I've worried for all this time that perhaps you'd find another to make you happy and he would fill your paradise with love."

"Look around you Albus. The man I've always loved is in every room of my house and has always had a home in my heart. I don't remember a time when I didn't love you and while we were never intimate on earth, I never gave up hope for our future. Even now I wait patiently for you."

A surge of emotions bolted through his body as his mind registered the words falling from her lips. "Oh Minerva, I love you so much," was his breathless reply before his lips brushed against hers in a tentative first kiss. That first kiss turned into another and then yet another, each growing in intensity and passion until Minerva's tongue lazily begged for permission to enter. Drawing her further against him, he opened his mouth and for the first time they both understood what it meant to be on fire from within.

Hands roamed freely over unexplored territory still hidden by cloth, new tastes and sensations were overloading the senses of the witch and wizard engaged in the most passionate kiss either had ever experienced. Neither was sure who had made the first move but soon they were stretched out in the floor on the plush rug near the hearth, pulling at buttons and ties in an effort to get an even closer connection than ever before.

"I love you Albus…forever," she breathed into his ear as the first of many waves of passion collided within her. There was no exhaustion that accompanied their lovemaking, no imperfection, no worries and certainly no fears. There was only a sense of heightened awareness, a feeling of searing heat that never seemed to fade and yet consumed them. An overwhelming amount of love and passion carried over from one world to the next and with it came the realization that they were truly in paradise.

As they lay snuggled together, a tangle of arms and legs, Albus worshipped her body with touches and soft kisses as he unveiled his heart to her and she in turn did the same to him. "So what happens now Albus?"

"Whatever we want, My Minerva. We have the universe at our fingertips and all the time in which to explore it…together."

"And what if I prefer to spend a century or two locked up in this house with you, all alone and just like this? Making love to you and realizing all my most cherished dreams."

"Then I'd say the rest of our friends and family can wait to see us. I can promise you that you'll never hear me complaining as long as you're right by my side." He started to say something more but he suddenly felt the floor beneath them start to tremble.

Minerva's eyes widened as she gripped Albus a little tighter and smiled. "Looks like our worlds are blending together, my white knight," she remarked, using her pet name for him and revealing why that piece was always her favorite.

They laid still and watched as the walls expanded and the styles blended together to reflect the merging of their worlds. One by one, little trinkets and oddities from Albus' home appeared in hers. Pieces of furniture suddenly appeared, hundreds of books floated effortlessly in the air towards her library and his bowl of sherbert lemons appeared on the table by the chessboard abandoned ages ago.

But the most remarkable change was the space over the mantle. Once the stone hearth had been barren but now there resided a large portrait. It was the same one Albus had watched so intently for all those years, waiting for some sign of her. Now it appeared over the mantle and instead of being lifeless and cold, it now practically bubbled with life as images of Albus and Minerva appeared within the frame. Instead of looking out of their surroundings, their eyes were locked with each other, his strong arms around her tiny waist, hers draped lazily around his shoulders, and their bodies pressed together, making it nearly impossible to distinguish where one ended and the other began if it hadn't been for their different colored robes.

"What a beautiful painting, Albus. Is it yours?" she asked after pressing a leisurely kiss to his lips.

He nodded his head and nipped playfully at her bottom lip. "I placed the portrait in my house so that I could see when you crossed over. I wanted some way of knowing the exact moment you were here and it glowed with a bright fire when you died. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, up until a few hours ago anyway," he finished with a chuckle.

"I watched your portrait for years, hoping you'd come back to me," she admitted softly. "I wanted you to stay with me and then after years and years of staring at your painting, I had to learn to live without you and it was so hard and so lonely." She wiped away some errant strands of hair from his forehead and rested her head on his bare chest. "But there were times when I could hear you and feel you near me and you have no idea how much comfort that gave me and a small measure of happiness too."

"I can tell you every single tear you cried for me and each whispered thought you heard on the wind, for I was there with you. I hoped you'd find life easier without my daily interference but there were moments when I would've done anything to hold you in my arms to comfort you and love you."

"You've watched over me all these years? You really have waited for me all this time. And I thought all along that when I reached the other side, I'd have to search for you. Never did I think that you'd be here waiting for me when I returned from seeing my father. It was almost as if I willed you here to me and I guess in some ways I did."

"Either way, I'm here now and I have no reason to ever leave your side. We can go anywhere, do anything, see everything and spend the rest of forever making love in the bright sunshine or under the stars, all at the mere thought of what you want. Nothing is beyond our grasp or imagination, my love."

"Hmmm, while all of that sounds exciting and intriguing, I'd much rather stay here with you and catch up on all those lost years on earth. I want to know what it's like to take a nap and wake up in your arms. Or to make love to you until I feel that I'll die from the pleasure, only to beg you to make love to me again and again so that the feeling never ends. Moonlight kisses, dips in the lake, summer picnics on a blanket beneath the oak tree as you read to me from your book of poetry, those are the things I want."

He gathered her to him and kissed her passionately, taking his time and making her moan before releasing her. "Then that's what you shall have my darling," he answered softly before summoning the book of poetry from her library and beginning to recite her bookmarked passage. When he finished, she was smiling.

"I wrote that two days before I died, Minerva. I hated to leave you and yet I knew it was inevitable. That was the hardest part of dying for me, leaving you behind."

"I'm grateful you left the poems behind. I had them all complied and placed in this book. It never left my side and I read them each night before falling asleep. It's how I kept you alive in my heart and it gave me the strength to face each day without you until it came my time to die."

"If you'd like, I'll write you another volume of poems or even that book on our next great adventure."

"Perhaps later," she replied with a wicked smile. "Right now, there are more pleasurable activities to indulge in and we have all the time in the world," was her only reply as she straddled his body and began to take him with her beyond the stars and into their shared ecstasy.

The End.


End file.
